New Orleans is a tale of two cities these days. In areas that were smashed and then sat for weeks underwater when the levees broke, the devastation still stretches for miles and the valiant cleanup efforts seem as daunting as mopping sand from a beach. But the older areas that make the town famous, built on higher ground along the river, are humming again. From Tulane University through the Garden District to the business district and the French Quarter, people are back at work while chefs and musicians ply their wondrous magic.

There is much opportunity as well as many difficulties ahead. But none are insurmountable. Mr. Isaacson concludes,

[M]any people will find that it’s a great time to be back in a city they love. They will relish the rare opportunity to be part of something historic, creative and larger than themselves. More outside money will flow in than has for decades, so the city could become the entrepreneurial magnet it was a century ago. For students, few places will offer a more enriching education in what it means to be a useful citizen than Tulane, Xavier, Loyola and the other New Orleans colleges.